Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. John points out the contrast
between those who are made the recipients of the Lord's grace
and those who yet perish in their sin. The whole world lieth in
wickedness, and we know that the Son of God is come and hath
given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true,
and we are in him that is true, even in his Son, Jesus Christ.
This is the true God and eternal life. This understanding is the
difference between those who embrace Christ and those who
continue on in their own way, most especially their own religious
darkness. Men often look upon acts of extreme cruelty which
they see around them, such as these senseless shootings which
have recently occurred, and wonder why someone would do such things.
Yet seldom do they pause to consider that such activity is actually
in keeping with the nature of men, and that the fact that this
is not more commonplace is simply a testament to the restraining
grace of a merciful God. Every man, if left to himself,
would do far worse. Through such events, the Lord
would remind us of the wicked imaginations which are in all
of us who are born of Adam's race. Most will grow angry when
such a truth as this is set forth, as they consider themselves too
righteous to do such a thing. The heart is deceitful above
all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it? How much more
abominable and filthy is man which drinketh iniquity like
water? For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries,
fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. Never has the wickedness
of men and the righteousness of God ever been put on clearer
display than when the spotless Lamb of God was roughly and unjustly
taken, cruelly treated, and ultimately subjected to a most barbaric
form of execution, to the delight of the onlookers who demanded
His crucifixion, and would be satisfied with nothing less than
His humiliation and death. Nothing can mitigate their guilt.
No good reason could be brought forth as to why this gentle man,
who went about doing nothing but good, should be treated so.
They are without excuse, and we too would have joined with
them, except that the Lord had kept us from it. He is despised
and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, unacquainted with grief.
And we hid as it were our faces from him. He was despised, and
we esteemed him not. Yet all the while these tormentors
gladly pursued His destruction, due to their wicked and dark
hearts, their every action was ordained by Him, who sent His
only begotten Son into the world to obtain eternal redemption
for that people whom He loved with an everlasting love. Every
lash of that whip which tore at his flesh and caused his blood
to pour from his wounds was numbered according to the predestined
purpose of God. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was
bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace
was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. None eye did pity
him, for even his father, whose chief delight was in his son,
could not look upon him as he became sin for us. Oh dear friend,
pause and consider him who would be both just and the justifier
of that people which he gave to his son in the eternal covenant
of redemption. They planted a crown of thorns
and placed it upon his head, mockingly calling him a king
as they brought forth a purple robe. which was a sign of royalty. What they meant as a means of
disdain testifies against them as he has been revealed as the
king of kings and lord of lords. Their humiliation of him is actually
his glory, and he came to bear witness of the truth. They mockingly
called him a king, yet that crown of thorns which caused him great
pain was ordained to manifest his victory over the powers of
darkness as he came into the very pit of hell and triumphed
openly over all of his foes. No king resplendent in a golden
and jeweled diadem was ever surrounded with the glory which is his by
virtue of his triumph, wearing a crown of suffering for those
he came to save. Christ also hath once suffered
for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God,
being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.
This purple robe was a temporary covering for him, which they
did not intend that he should wear, for they stripped him of
it, exposing his nakedness to the world. Adam and Eve sought
to cover themselves with fig leaves in a futile attempt to
hide their shame. The Lord in mercy clothed them
with the skins of animals, yet none did cover the Lord Jesus
as He hung naked and bare before the Lord as a stark reminder
of the manner in which all men shall stand before Him who judges
the living and the dead. He was judged a guilty man, taking
upon Himself the sin and imperfection of His elect bride, that she
might be covered with His perfection and righteousness. For He hath
made Him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be
made the righteousness of God in Him. Is Christ your righteousness? For a free CD containing 15 of
these radio broadcasts, send an email to forthepoor at windstream.net.